by Mary E. Lowd
“Why are you screaming at the ocean?”
The sage asks the artist
And the artist replies:
“No one will buy my paintings
As long as it continues to wave
They can stand and watch
And they never see
How perfectly I captured it
How truly its heart belongs
To me and only me
But I would sell it
For the money to buy bread
And so the ocean
By continuing to wave
Is stealing from me
I am so hungry
So, so hungry”
The artist continues to scream
The ocean continues to wave
And the sage goes home
To sit by the window
And eat bread while staring at the sea